Donor and alumni support fuel Energize campaign to new heights

Over the past couple of weeks, the University of Calgary has had the pleasure of reporting back to the community about the unprecedented level of meaningful, groundbreaking transformation that has taken place this year thanks to philanthropic giving.

Certainly, it’s been a remarkable year for the university’s Energize campaign. With more than $884 million raised to date, we are now more than two-thirds of the way to our goal of $1.3 billion. This year alone, philanthropy has contributed to the opening of a state-of-the-art engineering expansion, the launch of a new combined degree program, significant advances in MS research and a revolutionary hub for entrepreneurial thinking.

While the tangible outcomes of philanthropy are enormously impressive, for me, the most gratifying aspect of sharing our successes and goals with students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters is the startlingly generous, personal stories behind the gifts that continue to shape this campaign’s momentum. 

• Read more about Energize: the Campaign for Eyes High

As always, it’s the people who fuel UCalgary’s spaces, programs and breakthroughs. They’re at the heart of everything we do here. Our annual campaign progress publication and video, Campaign 201, shines a spotlight on just a few of those who are elevating excellence on campus, in this city and beyond. Here you’ll meet Varun Bhatt, a student in the first cohort of a new business and engineering combined degree program; Tony Johnson, whose energy and generosity in the face of terminal brain cancer is an inspiration; and Michael Kehler, whose research has the potential to dramatically alter society’s perspectives on gender roles.   

We sincerely hope you enjoy the update, feel pride and, perhaps, see a reflection of yourself in one of these stories. This is an extraordinary community to be a part of, and I’m so grateful for the dedication and enthusiasm on campus that continues to shape this remarkable campaign. 

• Read more about the Campus Giving program and how you can get involved